Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 333 The Bombardment from Griffin
Much later, Chen Fang realized just how important this MVP award was to him.

I also understand how complicated it was for him to get that MVP award.

The alliance never considered awarding the prize to Chen Fang. At the time, there were many possibilities, as many as seven or eight people, but Chen Fang was never taken into account.

In the ten minutes or so between his game-winning shot against the West and the award ceremony, countless phone calls were made urgently seeking communication, and there were also suggestions from some bigwigs at the scene.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer immediately called Adam Silver to express his desire for fairness and impartiality.

In a subsequent phone call, West also stated that everything should be judged based on the course of the game and that the decisions made by the players should be respected.

Eastern Conference head coach Mike admitted to the head of the disciplinary committee after the game that letting Chen Wang play in the final minutes was a test.

However, several sponsors objected, especially Nike.

“It can be given to Antetokounmpo.”

"His 21 points and 11 rebounds are enough."

These inside stories were revealed by reporters afterward; Chen Fang never imagined it would be so complicated, convoluted, and intense.

The final decision was made by someone Chen Fang hadn't expected.

Kobe!

Kobe never mentioned it to Chen Fang afterward. It wasn't until much later, when a former Nike executive joined a new company and became Chen Fang's partner, that the story came out.

"If Nike doesn't want its brand to be damaged, it should go with the flow. Which is more important: an annual honor or a scandal that will be brought up for a long time?"

Kobe called Nike's president directly, which changed Nike's mind.

Chen Fang was completely unaware of this, and he accepted the trophy as a matter of course, enjoying the honor.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer used his private jet to bring Chen Fang back to Los Angeles overnight, and the whole team came to celebrate with him.

There is only one player in Clippers history who has won the All-Star MVP award.

Bob McAdoo, during the 1974-1975 season when he played for the Buffalo Braves (the predecessor of the Clippers).

Strictly speaking, Chen Fang was the first person to join the Clippers after they changed their name, and also the first person to join the team after Ballmer bought it.

This was a huge surprise; the whole team hadn't even considered it, and Chen Fang hadn't mentioned it either.

This celebration brought back many wonderful memories, and boosted team cohesion and loyalty to Chen Wang to the maximum.

Chen Fang's serious and earnest attitude at the time was interpreted as a sign of his enormous ambition. A reporter praised him on Twitter with great admiration: "Chen Wang is the most capable person I have ever seen who can create miracles. This is because his heart is filled with ambition that ordinary people cannot possess."

In hindsight, Chen Fang's decision to prepare in just one day was absurd. Now that he has won the MVP award, it has been immediately interpreted that he was ambitious and attempted to win the MVP award before the competition.

Of course, some people mocked: while everyone else was having a wild party, Chen Wang entered armed, which was a typical sneak attack.

Chen Fang didn't care about the criticism; what he valued was the increased unity of the team because of his MVP award.

Just like when he raised his champagne glass at the celebration party and said to everyone, "We're all in the same boat, aren't we?"

"Yes! Mr. MVP!!" the whole team roared in response.

"OK, let's continue on our journey!" Chen Fang downed the champagne in one gulp.

The benefits of being an MVP don't stop there.

Because of Chen Fang's demanding requirements, his previously stalled commercial endorsements have begun to see a full range of positive developments.

Nike approached Chen Fang again, expressing their strong desire to sign him.

Because Nike acquired Converse back in 2003 for $3.05 million, even though Converse has a high degree of independence, Nike is still its parent company.

"The endorsement I envision is not just for a few years, but to become the only endorsement for the rest of my life."

"What I need is not money, but respect."

Nike has stated its bottom line in response.

If Chen Fang fulfills the activation clause hidden in the contract during the five-year contract, he will become a lifetime Nike ambassador and be eligible to receive a share of the profits from his own sneaker brand.

Looking at the hidden terms and conditions, which listed almost impossible honors, Chen Fang chose to take the gamble.

"This will be a constant source of motivation for me in the NBA. I see it as an impetus, and whether I succeed or not, I will enjoy the journey along the way."

Chen Fang's words also inspired admiration in the Nike representative.

After Chen Fang signed the agreement, as the two shook hands, the Nike representative sincerely congratulated them, saying, "This collaboration will be the most important collaboration in Nike's history."

"Nike will do everything in its power to protect you."

Chen Fang also knew that he could never defy the power of capital. He was not Don Quixote. After winning the All-Star MVP, Chen Fang fell in love with the feeling.

Sure enough, it's addictive.

As Chen Fang said, if you want to achieve more in the pursuit of personal and team honors, you must choose the best capital behind the NBA.

At that moment, he realized that, in many ways, he did not represent an individual, but rather a new force.

We must not let selfishness and prejudice drag others down with us.

The wonderful All-Star Weekend holiday has come to an end.

On February 21, the entire Clippers team assembled and flew to Memphis to play the Grizzlies on the road.

There, I met an old friend.

Blake Griffin.

The Grizzlies have had a good season, but their playoff hopes remain uncertain.

On February 8, the Grizzlies and Raptors made a trade.

Marc Gasol was traded from the Grizzlies to the Toronto Raptors, with the Grizzlies receiving Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, CJ Miles, and a 2024 second-round draft pick.

This also marked the beginning of the Grizzlies' rebuilding process. After struggling to make the playoffs, the management decisively chose to rebuild.

In their previous two meetings, the Clippers won one and lost one. Chen Fang was rested in the game they won and in the game they lost.

In the game the Grizzlies won, Griffin was there; in the game they lost, Griffin wasn't.

This is quite mysterious, as this match was the first time the two had faced off on the field.

Without exchanging pleasantries or making contact, Chen Fang had already expressed his attitude at the All-Star game, but unfortunately, he encountered the willful and stubborn Blake Griffin, so there was no need for him to try to win him over today.

Facing an opponent like the Grizzlies, the training is even more important.

Zubac and Jaren are under immense defensive pressure, and they're bound to get a lesson from Griffin.

Especially Griffin, after a summer of hard work practicing three-pointers, he will choose to shoot more three-pointers. This is almost the version of himself that Jaren dreams of. I believe that after this game, Jaren's determination to practice shooting will be even stronger.

However, differences still exist between Zubac and Valanciunas.

Valan has a superficial understanding of many things but lacks expertise, yet he still manages to gain the upper hand against Zubac.

This is also Zubac's problem; he pursues comprehensive development and all-round improvement, so his progress is very slow.

The Clippers' coaching staff and management remain optimistic, because a consistent center is extremely rare in the league right now.

The Grizzlies' advantage ended there; they were completely outmatched by the Clippers' perimeter shooting.

Chen Fang didn't play for long, appearing for 24 minutes and scoring 21 points before requesting a rest, as the Clippers maintained control of the game.

Beverley, Brunson, and Lou Williams, all returning from injury, performed exceptionally well. Bridges faithfully fulfilled his role, and DiVincenzo was dedicated on both offense and defense. This group of rookies received unimaginable opportunities to develop with the Clippers. This is the Clippers' foundation: a group of role players capable of scoring 10+ points, providing a solid guarantee for gaining an advantage in the long regular season.

However, the media focused more on the clash between Chen Fang and Griffin. Griffin's performance today was undeniably hard-working, and after scoring, he even attempted to provoke the Clippers' bench. Strangely, no one on the Clippers reacted and ignored Griffin's outrageous actions.

Ultimately, the Clippers won the game 116-102.

After the game, Chen Fang declined to be interviewed. He had instructed the entire team to avoid any questions about Griffin, which is why no one responded.

Even Chen Fang, who left Memphis directly, was still affected.

Griffin openly revealed the information to reporters after the game.

"Chen Fang is a despicable person; he's very hypocritical."

"I thought he was here to help me. When he came to the Clippers, I went against the majority and got everyone to accept him."

"But he betrayed me, he deceived me with sweet words, and he deceived everyone else."

"He instructed the management to trade me because he wanted to rise to power and become the boss."

"This is the truth, whether you believe it or not." Griffin was fearless. The Grizzlies were rebuilding, and the Gasol trade had stirred up his sensitive emotions again. He hadn't had a good rest for a long time.

The Clippers' dominant performance this season had already made him uncomfortable, and the fact that Chen Fang won the MVP award at the All-Star Game, which he had never even considered, fueled his jealousy and caused him to lose control.

After the loss, when asked by reporters why he hadn't interacted with Chen and Wang, Griffin, in a moment of irrationality, said the above.

Griffin's outburst was certainly shocking, quickly spreading throughout the league. As soon as the Clippers' plane landed in Denver, the media officer approached Rivers with a dark expression.

Later, Chen Fang, who had just woken up, learned the news after checking countless messages on his phone and hearing the media official's report.

"Don't get involved, let me handle this." Rivers was furious; why did something always have to go wrong?

"No, I'll do it," Chen Fang shook his head.

In front of the whole team, Chen Fang frankly said, "Guys, I have a little trouble."

“Patrick, I know you have a podcast account. Come on, let's borrow it for a bit. We'll make an appearance.”

Beverly, who was called out, was confused, but nodded immediately: "Understood, boss, you're ready anytime."

"It will gain you a lot of followers!" Chen Fang smiled.

At Chen Fang's level, the team's media officer had no right to set any rules for him and could only helplessly watch Chen Fang take on his work voluntarily.

Upon arriving at the hotel, after half an hour of coordination and preparation, Chen Fang sat directly on the bed in his Beverly room and started his first podcast.

"Hi, guys, I've invited my teammate, Chen Wang, tonight!" Beverley quickly got into the swing of things and began the introduction.

"Hi, Beverley fans, how are you?" Chen Fang waved and greeted them.

The number of online viewers was visibly skyrocketing, and the barrage of comments was like a waterfall scrolling across one side of the screen.

“I don’t want to waste everyone’s time. I just left Memphis and came to Denver earlier today.”

"Yes, my former teammate, and also the former Clippers captain Blake, criticized me." Chen Fang's expression was calm. In fact, Chen Fang had imagined this happening a long time ago.

He had even rehearsed his lines, but today, what he wanted to say was no longer what he had originally envisioned.

“I accept Blake’s accusations against me, and frankly, I’m not a good person.”

These words startled Beverley, who was already feeling uneasy. He kept looking around because Rivers was sitting there quietly out of his sight.

"I am ambitious, and I have many goals to pursue in order to enter the league."

"Like the All-Star Game that just ended, yes, the media's interpretation is correct. I really want this MVP. I want to know if there is a gap between me and the best people in the league."

"I want to compete with them, and the MVP award is the best recognition for me."

"Everyone has a different definition of a good person, a bad person, and a hypocrite. In my value system, what I pursue will inevitably conflict with what others do."

"Like the journey of life, it is about finding compatible people."

"I don't shy away from the topic of trades. I've never commented on whether Blake is on the team or not. I know he's a great player, and he's excellent wherever he is."

"I don't think that staying with the Clippers will affect me in any way."

"I like competition, I like confrontation, and I'm not afraid of anyone."

"So on this point, I know Griffin doesn't understand me yet, but I'm very grateful for his patience and concessions all this time."

"But what I want to say is that it's naive to say that every trade is the fault of the person who stayed on the team. Every decision the management makes has its reasons. I know it's a difficult decision, including myself. I've always felt sad about the Griffin trade."

"The only thing that angers me is that this outburst has gotten the team into another mess, which is wrong, Blake. Since the trade happened, you have refused my calls, texts, and face-to-face communication."

“We are both strong-willed and willful people. I understand all your actions so far, and I know that you will see this scene.”

"Please, if you are dissatisfied with me, we can resolve it privately, instead of providing the media and fans with fodder for gossip and a hot topic like this."

"This is also the only response I will make regarding this matter."

Chen Fang handed the conversation back to Beverley and walked out, with Rivers following him.

Outside the corridor, Chen Fang said to the head coach, "This time we really can't let Mr. [referring to the coach] take the blame again. This decision itself was partly mys."

"To achieve results and goals, one must always bear some responsibility."

Looking into Chen Fang's bright eyes, Rivers understood why Chen Fang had taken the initiative to step forward.

“You’ve grown up, in the real sense,” he remarked.

Back in his room, Chen Fang checked his phone and found more text messages.

Kobe's text message was very concise: "Call me back."

After dialing, it only rang once before being answered, which shows that Kobe had been waiting.

"I had a lot to say, but after seeing what you said on the podcast, I don't want to say anything more," Kobe sighed.

"I know that nothing I say will calm things down, I'm just stating my position."

“Great. When you don’t care about these things, you can’t express it by running away. A positive response is the right thing to do,” Kobe agreed.

"Now is the sprint stage. Let go of these things and focus on the game. When you get through this stage, you will find that you have gained a lot."

"Yes, I think I will definitely gain a lot."

"Thank you, brother, thank you for your concern," Chen Fang said gratefully.

"You're welcome. Oh, I forgot to congratulate you, MVP."

"Haha, I thought you'd only congratulate me if I won the regular season MVP," Chen laughed.

"No, the All-Star MVP is very important. You'll understand sooner or later," Kobe said calmly.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Fang looked at the night view of Denver and took a deep breath.

He knew that the storm would only intensify, and those who disapproved of him would emerge.

Just as Kobe said, the coming period will be tough.

But what can be done?
Chen Fang's current understanding is sufficient for him to face the changing world.

(End of this chapter)